India's opposition rallies in Delhi to demand election chief's resignation

Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Delhi on Sunday for a rally organised by the opposition INDIA bloc, demanding the resignation of India's chief election commissioner over a controversial revision of voter lists. The protest, led by Rahul Gandhi's Congress party, drew many of the alliance's most prominent leaders in a show of strength against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Crowds filled Ramlila Maidan, a sprawling ground known for hosting major political and cultural events, waving flags and chanting "Save the vote, save the country" and "Vote thief, give up power". Some protesters sang and danced to patriotic Bollywood songs, while others waited beneath a large canopy in the colours of the Indian flag. Gandhi and several senior leaders arrived at the venue in an open jeep, travelling through crowds of cheering supporters. The event was attended by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, alongside regional party leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, Supriya Sule and Tejashwi Yadav. Addressing the crowds, Gandhi said those gathered had sent a message to Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. "This is not the voice of a single political party or of politicians. It is the voice of India's youth, women, farmers and workers," he said. "We will not allow democracy to be destroyed in India. We will not allow the constitution to be destroyed." Other leaders echoed his criticism. Kharge, the Congress president, said the alliance would continue its campaign until Kumar resigned, while Banerjee pledged to keep fighting against what she described as threats to democracy. The governing Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the allegations. Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Sunday, senior BJP leader and federal minister JP Nadda accused the opposition of trying to create unrest and destabilise the government under the guise of defending democracy, describing the rally as a "calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy - in the name of democracy". Modi did not directly comment on the protest, but at public rallies on Friday and Saturday he accused opposition parties of trying to create chaos and undermining the dignity of the constitution. At the centre of the dispute is an exercise known as the Special Intensive Revision, which has resulted in more than 130 million names being removed from India's draft electoral rolls. The Election Commission says the exercise is intended to remove duplicate registrations and the names of people who have died, moved away or are otherwise ineligible, and that eligible voters wrongly excluded can seek to have their names restored. Opposition parties allege the process is removing legitimate voters and could benefit the BJP in future elections. The controversy deepened in September when The Indian Express newspaper reported that Kumar had made key decisions about the revision despite repeated objections from the two other election commissioners. The poll panel said differences of opinion were normal in any institution and did not affect its functioning. Sunday's rally followed weeks of protests over the revision, including demonstrations by student groups and the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party. Last month, Gandhi led tens of thousands on a march from central Delhi's Connaught Place to the Supreme Court demanding Kumar's resignation. The CJP backed Sunday's rally but chose not to participate, with its founder Abhijeet Dipke saying the group wanted to maintain its independence from established political parties. The event took place under strict conditions imposed by Delhi Police. According to local media reports, organisers were required to end the gathering by 5pm, install CCTV cameras at the venue and ensure protesters did not march beyond the designated grounds. The restrictions came against a backdrop of tensions over the policing of demonstrations in the capital: on 10 October, several CJP leaders were detained during protests against Kumar, and BBC reporters witnessed police dragging demonstrators away and beating some with batons. At Ramlila Maidan, however, the atmosphere was largely peaceful. "We don't even know if this is a people's mandate or a stolen mandate," Isha, a development sector professional from Delhi, told the BBC. Deepro Guha, a lawyer from the city, said: "It's important because voting is the basis of democracy. If people's names are removed without any explanation, there is a problem." On Saturday, opposition leaders staged a symbolic impeachment of Kumar, accusing him of undermining the electoral process. The proceedings had no legal standing, as under Indian law the chief election commissioner can only be removed through a formal parliamentary process. The move was nonetheless another display of unity by the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties formed in 2023 to challenge Modi's BJP.